


That's Life On The Hellmouth (Redux)

by beer_good



Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canonical Character Death, Comedy, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Minor Character(s), Missing Scene, Multi, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-31
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2017-12-22 00:46:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 75
Words: 8,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/906912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beer_good/pseuds/beer_good
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is where I put my drabbles. Mostly unconnected 100-word stories from <i>Buffy</i> and <i>Angel</i>, ranging from the silly to the sad, canon and AU, gen and shippy, major characters and ordinary Sunnydale citizens... There'll be more than 100 of them eventually.</p><p>("Redux" because it's not quite identical to the collection previously posted at ff.net)</p><p>Update 26/5/15: Drabbles 51-75</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. They've Got This Onion Thing... (Spike)

**They've Got This Onion Thing…**   
_  
_

Spike almost bit his tongue when he saw the sign at the Bronze. His mouth watered and his stomach reared up and howled with hunger.

After 13 gruelling months on buffalo wings, the onion flower was finally back on the menu.

The chip zapped him slightly as he shoved his way through the crowd to the bar, ordered half a dozen and withdrew to a quiet corner, wolfing the first one down so quickly he barely tasted it.

As he threw up in the toilet 30 seconds later, he vowed bloody revenge on whoever came up with "onion flower provencale".

 

_Author's note: _"provencale" – "from Provence"; French term signifying that a dish has been spiced with, among other things, olive oil and thyme… oh, and LOTS of garlic.__


	2. She knows how to use'em (Willow)

**She Knows How To Use 'Em** _  
Timeline: Buffy s3_

Stupid Faith.

Willow grumbled to herself as she watched Faith and Buffy on the dance floor, surrounded by a gaggle of lovestruck boys. Hey, best friend over here at the bar? But no, everyone just has eyes for Faith. What the hell is so special about her, anyway? She's not all that. Just because she's got that leather top on with its contents bouncing every which way and that red glossy lipstick and that short skirt that shows off her legs when she dances. Her long, smooth, toned, lickable...

 _Huh?_  Willow blushed and quickly policed her thoughts.

Stupid best-friend-stealing Faith.


	3. The only one to grieve (Wes/Lilah)

**The Only One To Grieve**  
  
 _Angel, s4_

 

"Hello, is this the Shady Oaks Rest Home? May I speak to Mrs Morgan, please."

"..."

"Mrs Morgan? My name is Wesley Wyndam-Pryce..."

"..."

"Actually, I'm sorry... It's about your daughter."

"..."

"Yes, I know she's not there, I'm..."

"..."

"Mrs Morgan... your daughter is dead."

"..."

"Lilah, yes."

"..."

"No, I'm... quite certain she didn't visit you yesterday."

"..."

"I'm... We... knew each other."

"..."

"I just wanted you to know that her death was... that she didn't... she cared a great deal for you and... she'll be missed."

"..."

" _Lilah._  Your  _daughter_ , you senile -"

"..."

"No, I don't want to talk to... Goodbye, Mrs Morgan. My condolences."


	4. OOC (Oz)

**OOC**

"...and I'm like halfway through this kick-ass solo when my E string breaks and I'm like 'No way!' and I try to like bring it down and just groove while I change guitars but then Devon's like 'Guitar!' and I'm like 'Dude, I broke a fuckin'  _string_ ' and he's like 'Woah!' but then my Telecaster isn't tuned and I'm like 'Dude!' and... where're you goin'?"

"Bathroom...?"

"Cool. Hurry back, babe." He smacks his girlfriend's ass as Buffy drags her away.

"Two hours. Two HOURS." Buffy shudders. "Promise that's the last time we let Oz get drunk?"

Willow just whimpers.


	5. Just a kid (Faith)

****Just a Kid** **  
**** _Post-"Chosen"._ _Author's note: No politics intended. I just figured it made sense for Faith._

As they left Buffy's baby shower, Faith cornered Robin. "Never. Never ever. You got me?"

He grinned. "C'mon. You never thought about it?"

"Never. All they do is yell, crap their pants and cost money until they start hating you – if you live long enough and stay out of jail. No kid deserves that."

"I still think you'd make a great mom."

"Right, 'cause you and me are experts on motherhood." Robin's smile faded, and Faith backtracked. "Sorry. Big mouth. But NEVER."

Still, that night she lay awake, thinking back.

The kid would have been eight in a few months.


	6. Time for a change (Angel, Cordelia)

**Time for a change**  
 _Angel s3_

"No. I can't do this. What if I..."

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Oh brother. You've saved the world how many times is it now? And I've seen you covered in slime more than once, so don't pretend it's the ewww factor that's putting you off. Just stop being such a baby and DO it."

With trembling hands, Angel tried to ease the stinky diaper off his newborn son. Connor immediately started wailing, causing his father to panic.

"What did I do? Is he sick? Should we call the doctor? I think we should call the doctor."

Cordelia rolled her eyes.


	7. Numb (Dawn)

**Numb**  
  
 _Buffy s6_

This isn't real.

Dawn is used to things not real, things never happening.

She never screamed at Mom for leaving Dad and moving to Sunnydale.

She never blackmailed Buffy about Angel coming to her window.

She never spent all summer worried sick about her sister.

She never saw snow.

She was never held hostage by Faith.

NONE OF THIS HAPPENED.

So logically, she never found Tara cold in a pool of blood.

She never pleaded for her to get up.

She never spent hours banging her own head against the wall, trying to wake up.

No.

No.

No.

Not happening.


	8. Oh, and there's no easter bunny either (Ensemble)

**Oh, And There's No Easter Bunny Either**  
 _  
_

"Ewwww." Willow couldn't look away from the carnage. "That was... poor kids."

"Yeah, Buff." Xander shook his head. "You made some child psychiatrists very rich just now."

"Look, I don't like it any more than you guys, but do you realize what happens if Guatemalan ostrich demons get to mate?" Buffy brushed some bloody yellow feathers from her axe.

"Hey, we're on board with the killage of demons, but..." Willow gestured helplessly at the kindergarten class who had happened to witness the fight, and whose teacher was trying in vain to calm the hysterical kids down.

"SHE KILLED BIG BIRD!"


	9. What if she's in a ditch somewhere (Joyce, Dawn)

**What If She's In A Ditch Somewhere  
** _Buffy s2/s3_

It was the warmest summer in years. Yet every night Dawn woke up shivering and tiptoed into Mom's bedroom, careful not to wake her as she slipped under the covers. She kept expecting to be told 12 was too old to be sleeping in her mother's bed, but when she woke up she always found herself wrapped in a warm mom-hug so tight she could barely move.

At breakfast, Joyce clutched the coffee cup with both hands. They never went to the beach. After dinner they curled up together and watched TV, volume low just in case the phone rang.


	10. Residual effects in D minor (Ensemble)

**Residual Effects In D Minor**  
 _  
_

Everyone's jaws dropped in amazement as Buffy sat down at the piano and played a note-perfect fugue by Bach.

Xander applauded. "Maestro Summers, I am in awe."

"Quite impressive", Giles agreed, "but when did you have time to learn the piano?"

"It's from that evil costume thingy at halloween. Xander got the army training, I got the 18th century education – pretty much harpsichord lessons and how to powder a wig. But... Uh, Will? You OK?"

Willow, who had suddenly stood up and walked straight into a wall, rubbed her poor nose as she sheepishly sat back down. "Just checking something."


	11. Killing Angel by degrees (Puppet!Angel)

**Killing Angel By Degrees (100 Fahrenheit)**

Slowly, the world stopped spinning. He was soaked through and through, and his limbs felt heavier than ever before. He could hear the last of the blood-tainted water run out through the drain below him and tried in vain to move.

Then the hatch opened and Fred hauled him out, holding him up triumphantly. "See? Told ya Tide gets demon blood out."

Gunn shrugged. "Fine. I still say we shouldn't have let him fight like that..."

"Oh, don't worry, Angel's tough. Ain'tcha, big guy?" Fred cuddled him before opening the next hatch.

Puppet!Angel protested weakly. "No... not the dryer... please..."


	12. Not Not Fade Away (Ensemble)

**Not Not Fade Away** __  
  


_"Executive Producer: Joss Whedon"_

Angel frowned at the words that appeared before him, and the red-haired man who came up to shake his hand. "Great job, David."

"Who's David?"

"Oi, check out the demons!" Spike pointed at the until recently approaching demon army, who stopped and started removing their costumes, revealing themselves as aspiring actors and stuntmen.

Illyria punched a Fox exec.

_In another LA..._

...David, James, J August and Amy looked up at the dragon swooping down on them. "I thought they were doing that in CGI?"

"Yeah... and where did the cameramen go?"

"I think we're in trouble."


	13. Parole (Ethan)

**Parole**

It's raining the day the army lets Ethan out, "under supervision". He snorts when he sees who that is, but gets in the car.

Windshield wipers fight a losing battle.

"So, Ripper... what's the plan? Don't suppose you could just drop me off at the airport?"

"You know I can't do that." No rage there anymore, just cold. "We're going to Cleveland. Council Headquarters."

"Have better dungeons there, do you?"

Giles ignores the question, and all others for the remainder of the drive. The rain pounds down. Ethan raises an eyebrow as Giles pushes the car over the speed limit.


	14. All Shook Up (Spike, Xander)

**All Shook Up**  
 _Buffy s4._

"Look at this mess!" Xander fumed as the vampire returned to the basement at dawn. "Yesterday you promised you would clean up!"

"Yeah," Spike shrugged. "I was going to, but then I didn't."

"I swear, one of these days I'll-"

"What? Stake me? You haven't got the balls and you know it."

"Whatever. I'm late for work. But know this: someday, vengeance will be mine. Oh yes." Xander left.

"Ponce." Spike went to the fridge for a beer. When he opened the can it exploded, soaking him in foam from head to toe.

Xander poked his head back inside. "Gotcha."


	15. Where do broken hearts go? (Parker)

**Where Do Broken Hearts Go**  
 _  
_

Parker ordered another beer. His face still hurt from yesterday's encounter with Riley, and the shiner hardly helped him pick up a girl to restore his self-image. But as a beautiful blonde with teary eyes sat down next to him, he cleared his throat and became Sensitive Guy.

"Excuse me, but I can't help but notice that you've been hurt. As you can see, I can relate. If you want to talk–"

She looked up, sobbing. "Can we skip it and just, like, go someplace private?"

 _Score!_  "A lady's request is my command. By the way, I'm Parker."

"Harmony."


	16. Brogue demon hunters (Doyle)

**Brogue Demon Hunters**

"So... Doyle, where are you from then?"

"Tought it was obvious? Ireland."

"Yeah, but where exactly? I've been trying to place your accent..."

"Fancy ya know Irish accents, do ya? Ever been dere?"

"Why, aye. Born an' raa...eee...iized." And Angel set about to prove his birthplace by, for the next ten minutes, speaking in a long-neglected dialect that might -  _might_  - have passed for Irish on... oh, say, American TV.

All his tortured vowels earned him, though, was a healthy gutlaugh and a slap on the shoulder. "Nice try, pal. Tell ya what, rent  _De Commitments_  again and practice some more."


	17. Human weakness (The Mayor)

**Human Weakness**  
 **  
**

Knock knock.

"Go away."

The vampire looked at his watch and steeled himself before opening the door.

"Sir-"

"I said GO. AWAY." The boss was at his desk, face in his hands, hair on end.

"Sir, graduation is in two hours and we need to..." The vampire ducked a paperweight, thrown with impotent human strength, and shrugged. Hey, his ascension, his problem if he misses it. He closed the door.

Alone again, Richard Wilkins took a deep breath. He rewound the camcorder for the fourth time and forced a smile before hitting "Rec".

"Hello, Faith. If you're watching this tape..."

 


	18. Therapy? (Doris Kroger)

**Therapy?** _  
Buffy s6_

"I'm not crazy!"

Dr Cairns nodded, stifling an overworked yawn. "Of course not, Ms Kroger. We don't use the 'C' word in psychiatry anymore."

"Don't you patronize me! I'm perfectly -"

He held his hand up. "Please, hear me out. Ms Kroger,  _Doris_ , let's be frank. We both know that Sunnydale is... different. Just between you and me, it's not impossible that your coffee mug  _did_  tell you to kill everybody. Question is – does your medical insurance cover Act of Ghost?"

Doris started to object, then slowly closed her mouth.

He smiled. "I'll just put down 'work-related stress', then. NEXT!"


	19. Even if she never... (Willow/Tara)

**Even if she never...**   
_Timeline: alt future, years after "Tough Love"_

Tara has good days.

She has days when things almost make sense. She can string thoughts together, look at the woman next to her and remember her name. She sees red hair turning grey, lines forming around green eyes. She knows Willow still loves her and will always take care of her, and wants to tell her to stop, it's useless, she's throwing her life away on someone who will never get better.

Those days are few and far between. Mostly it's all chaos, confusion, terror, insanity and nothing makes sense.

Those are the good days. When she doesn't know.


	20. Happy Meal (Buffy)

**Happy Meal, AKA How Buffy Saved The World And Didn't Even Know It**   
  
_Buffy s6_

"Welcome to Doublemeat Palace, how may I help you." Buffy's worked 14 hours straight; question marks don't exist.

The pale, tall man eyes the menu. "The Doublemeat Medley hassss beef in it, yesssss?"

Demon? Who cares. If all he wants is a burger... "Uh, yeah. Sure."

"Give me three dozzzzzzen."

Big appetite. Whatever. She hands them over, takes his (slightly slimy) money and forgets him before he's out the door.

Little known fact: Skirfnool demons must consume beef before rituals. Fake meat processes aren't enough. Their attempt to open the hellmouth ends in disappointment and a nasty case of salmonella.


	21. Morning shift (Ensemble)

**Morning Shift**   
_"The Gift"_

Nurse Adams looked up in alarm as five people burst into the E.R. at dawn; a man carrying a beat-up woman, and a redhead and a blonde with a broken hand supporting a girl in a weird dress, bleeding from a cut to her stomach. All seemed to be in total shock. "Oh dear. What happened?"

They all looked at the redhead, who mumbled something about a robbery.

"Don't tell me; you fought back?" The nurse shook her head in sympathy. "Never a good idea. You're lucky you got off this light."

That's when the redhead started crying again.


	22. Rounding up the troops (Andrew)

**Rounding Up The Troops**   
  
_Post-"Chosen"_

"He's waking up."

"Great. Can I kill him now?"

"Kennedy..."

"He almost scared her off! Last thing we need's more psycho Slayers..."

Andrew opened his eyes. When Dawn and Kennedy glared at him he pretended to be unconscious again, but dropped the act when Dawn commanded:

"Get. Up."

He winced. "I think that girl broke my ribs."

"Serves you right." Kennedy pulled him upright. "Next time we track down a scared girl with brand-new Slayer strength, how do we NOT explain what we want and what the Council is?"

Andrew mumbled something.

"HOW?"

"'Resistance is futile. Prepare to be assimilated'."


	23. Neither Neither Nor Nor (Justine Cooper)

**Neither Neither Nor Nor**

Good and evil are fucking two feet from her cage, grunting, gasping, moaning as one. She can't always tell them apart from in here.

She's damned and taunted Wesley, pleaded to his good side, promised to be good, offered to be bad. He never cares; there's no forgiveness there.

Sometimes, Lilah opens her cage as Wesley sleeps. Gagged, Justine shoots her hateful looks that say  _you can't buy me_. Lilah laughs and closes the door.

She's fallen between, too good for evil, too bad for good. They're having sex two feet from her cage, but it's Justine who is fucked.


	24. Five Things Spike Did That Eventually Got Him Barred From CBGBs

**Five Things Spike Did That Eventually Got Him Barred From CBGBs** _  
Late 70s_

  * Kept bugging Debbie Harry for bleaching tips. Apologized by co-writing "Rip Her To Shreds", but too late.
  * Tried to eat Richard Hell, who had just shot up and managed to fight off a suddenly very drowsy Spike at the cost of his shirt. Spike still claims the punk look is his doing.
  * Wouldn't stop ranting about the Dead Boys being fucking poseurs.
  * Vamped Iggy Pop. Got upset when nobody noticed. Including Iggy.
  * People kept asking rookie DJs to play some Barry Manilow, just to see the expression on Spike's face. He didn't kill them, but sometimes the crowd almost did.




	25. Rated R for Language (Dawn)

**Rated R For Language**  (which is title, summary AND rating – I'm efficient sometimes) _  
Buffy s5_

"Why are you doing this?" Dawn sobbed as Glory's minion anointed her.

"The key must be pure."

"Fuck you."

The minion shushed her. "No, don't..."

"FUCK YOU!" Dawn screamed at him. "FUCK YOU, FUCK BEN, FUCK GLORY, FUCK BUFFY, FUCK THE FUCKING MONKS, FUCK THE FCC, FUCK ALL OF YOU UP THE FUCKING ASS WITH A FUCKING GIANT FUCKING RAZOR-BLADE DILDO! I HOPE YOU ALL DIE IN POOLS OF YOUR OWN SHIT AND BLOOD AND BRAINS AND PISS, YOU FUCKING FUCKS!"

"Oh dear." The minion called out in his toadiest voice. "Oh, transcendentally magnificent one? The key isn't pure anymore..."


	26. Easy as Pi (Willow/Fred)

  **Easy As Pi**

 

"452?" Willow blinked. "Wow, that's..."

"I-I know it's pretty geeky..." Fred grinned, embarrassed. "It's just... Here's this number that people have known about forever, and everyone uses it but no one knows exactly what it is, 3.141592653 and on and on and... I thought it would be cool to see how far I could trace it."

"Oh, hey, Sunnydale's biggest non-evil science nerd here. I mostly used my calculator for pi, though. But memorizing 452 digits, that's pretty darn impressive... I'd, uh, love to hear them sometime...?"

"Sure." Fred blushed, then frowned. "Wait, did I say memorize? I meant calculated."


	27. Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way (Giles, Willow)

**Hanging on in Quiet Desperation Is the English Way**  


"I've brought you an extra blanket." He put it by her bed. "English summers might be colder than you're used to. I'm afraid my countrymen never understood the value of double glazing..."

She just stared into the wall. He fought off a deep-rooted reflex to offer her a cup of tea and turned to leave.

"Giles?" It was the first thing she'd said since they left California. "W-will it... be quick?"

"I'm afraid not. Do you think it should be?"

Willow shook her head.

He was halfway out the door before he realized that she wasn't talking about being rehabilitated.


	28. Shattered (Buffy)

**Shattered  
**

When they get back from the hospital, Giles takes Dawn upstairs to put her to bed. Buffy, unable to _not_ do something, starts cleaning up the mess the paramedics made in the living room.

Behind the couch she finds her mother's favorite cup, shattered where she dropped it. Earl Grey drying into the carpet, lipstick still on the rim.

Buffy doesn't hear Dawn bawling her eyes out upstairs as she tries to glue the cup back together. But Slayer strength, supposedly useful in saving the world, crushes the fine china in her white-knuckled hands. Useless shards dig into her palms.


	29. I had my throat... something something... (Wesley)

  
**I Had My Throat... yada yada yada... And All My Friends... Something Something**

The executive bathrooms at Wolfram & Hart have gold-plated mirrors that are kept squeaky clean and give no answers. They just reflect.

Wesley looks in the mirror, traces the scar on his neck with his finger. He frowns.

He remembers sharp steel, blood welling in his throat, betrayal, loneliness. There was someone he...

And then she...

And then they...

So he...

...comes up blank.

(As far as he remembers, "Connor" is a character in a cheesy 80s fantasy movie.)

He's got a scar, a huge paycheck, friends, and guilt he can't explain. Effects, but no causes.

He wonders who he is.


	30. New Brat In Town (Snyder, Faith)

**New Brat in Town**

Snyder caught the brunette just as she was about to leave school grounds. "Where do you think you're going, young lady?"

"None of your business."

Oooh, a troublemaker. He frantically searched his mind for her name; maybe she had just transferred in? Well, he'd be damned if he was going to let this one burn down _his_ gymnasium. Why was she holding her jacket closed like that? "What do you have under there? Drugs?"

"Nah. B 'accidentally' ripped my t-shirt in training." Faith opened her jacket. "See?"

When Snyder came to three hours later, he was still mumbling about detention.


	31. ...But the angels won't receive me (Buffy)

  
**...But The Angels Won't Receive Me**   
_  
_

A few days after they bring her back, Buffy goes on her first patrol. At least that's what she tells them.

She doesn't remember exactly where it is – she wasn't paying much attention last time – but she knows Sunnydale by night, and eventually she finds it.

Buffy kneels on what used to be her grave. Someone – Xander, perhaps – has gotten rid of the headstone and thrown some artificial turf over the hole she dug. She runs her hand over the fake grass, then underneath it. It's certainly greener on this side, but... somehow not as real as the cold dirt.


	32. All those melodies go on to long (Sweet)

**All Those Melodies Go On Too Long**   


"Now, now, Slayer", Sweet chuckled, almost unperturbed by the swordtip at his throat. "Is that any way to greet a client?"

"'Client'? I'm sorry, wrong number. I don't work for demons who tried to kill me."

"Not even if there's a common threat? Enemy of my enemy and all that jazz?"

Buffy hesitated. "Alright. You have ten seconds to convince me – and NO singing."

"Oh, I think I can guarantee that." Sweet grabbed the remote.

After 20 minutes of _American Idol_ tryouts, all differences were forgotten. Sweet was right; the R'Yan Seekhrest demon was evil and had to be stopped.


	33. Special delivery (Angelus)

**Special Delivery  
**

_Damnit._ Slimy little...

Psychological warfare used to be so easy. Leave enemies hints that you can kill them anytime you want, watch enemies stampede like cattle, laugh evilly.

But this was just... undignified.

Angelus was soaked to the shoulder when he finally managed to catch the last of Willow's goldfish. Little bastard had eluded him for 20 minutes, it deserved a thread through its... goddamn... slippery... oops. Where'd it go?

He slipped on the fish and fell on his ass with a loud - and painful - crash.

_"Willow? Is everything alright?"_

"Uh... yeah." Falsetto voice. "Just fine... Mom."

Someone would _pay_.


	34. Stood up to the man and gave him what for (Robin Hood xover)

**Stood up to The Man and gave him what for  
**

Over time, history changes. Truth becomes metaphor, myth becomes fact. We become more enlightened.

For instance: Prince John demanded taxes no honest man could pay, so a green-hooded rebel rose up to rob from the rich, give to the poor and reinstall God-fearing King Richard.

(Funny how history is always men fighting over material riches, isn't it?)

Then there are legends that the Sheriff of Nottingham was never seen in daylight, that Friar Tuck practiced something older than Jerusalem, and that Maid Marian was the best bowman in England and could kick Little John's ass... but obviously, that's dark-age fairytales.


	35. Commercial break

  
**Commercial Break** __

__

Lost your soul?

Possessed someone else's body?

Trying to seduce a werewolf?

Then come to **Leath-R-Pantz-R-Us**! Conveniently located in Sunnydale's busiest shopping district, Leath-R-Pantz-R-Us offers a wide selection of leather pants in all sizes for that "it feels good to be bad" look.

We are open 24/7 and will deliver anywhere in the greater Sunnydale area within 30 minutes. We offer special discounts for those of you on a student budget or recently deceased, and naturally – a lifetime guarantee on all our products!

_Leath-R-Pantz-R-Us: Because nothing says sexy, dead, and/or evil like tight black leather._

(Lifetime guarantee voided if slain.)


	36. Little Fury (Amy)

  
**Little Fury** __

"Awww. She really loves that wheel." Willow leans over the cage, smiling.

"Sure, but... there must be some spell we haven't tried."

"No, I've pretty much gone through the book... But look at her run! That's one happy rat."

Amy's primitive brain can't really comprehend emotions like joy – or for that matter claustrophobia or hate. Can't quite remember having opposable thumbs, brownies, magic... can't remember yesterday, really. Just a grating _wrong_ feeling. She keeps running, because the wheel never stops. Three years of DO. NOT. WANT. WHEEL. BARS. CHEESE. DO. NOT. WANT, going round and round, burning into her mind.


	37. For the home team (Baseball girl)

**For the Home Team** _  
Remember that little league girl in "Chosen"...?_

For a few seconds, everything was still. The small crowd mumbled in surprise, the pitcher stared with her mouth hanging open, and the girl herself just looked at the bat, all thoughts of running for first base forgotten.

Finally the umpire spoke up. "Uh... strike two?"

"Whaddyamean 'strike'?" Her father flew up, furious. "She clearly HIT the ball! How is that a strike?"

The umpire pulled out his rule book and searched frantically for the correct call for "ball disintegrates into smithereens upon being hit".

Katie kept staring at the bat, turning it over in her hands. It felt... good.


	38. Down for the count (Angel)

**Down For the Count**   
_Angel s4._

Vampire senses are useful. Night vision, for instance, works not only at night but also under water.

After a week stuck at the bottom of the ocean, Angel starts to alleviate boredom by counting. First he counts fish, but they all look the same and keep swimming back and forth. Then it's boats, but Connor dumped him way off the main routes and after three weeks he's only counted 11. Not helping.

So he counts waves.

One, two, three...

...ninetysix, ninetyseven, ninetyeight...

...fourthousandthreehundredthirteen, fourthousandthreehundredfourteen, fourthousandthreehundredfifteen...

...thirteenmillionsevenhundredfortyonethousandninehundredtwentynine, thirteenmillionsevenhundredfortyonethousandninehundredthirty, speedboat with hot blonde girl waterskiing, thirteenmillionsevenhundredforty... uh, sevenhundredforty...

Damnit.

One, two, three...


	39. Black knight is a long way from home (Angel)

**Black Knight Is A Long Way From Home**   
_Angel s5.  
_

OK, so, first day at Wolfram & Hart. Angel exited the limo and looked up at the skyscaper, pondering. After a moment, he made his way towards the executive entrance.

The executive entrance was blocked by a beefy security guard, dressed all in black with a black mask hiding his face. "None shall pass."

"What?"

"NONE shall pass."

"Look, I have no quarrel with you, but I must get into my office -"

"Then you shall die."

"I order you as the CEO of Wolfram & Hart to stand aside!"

"I move for no man."

Angel sighed. Where did they _find_ these people?


	40. Angel on top (AtS ensemble)

**Angel On Top AKA Eat Your Heart Out, Richard Gere (R)** _  
Remember Anya's speech on Santa in "The Body"...?_

"Is it dead?"

"Yup."

"OK. That's good. That's..." Fred whimpered. "We slayed _Santa_ , guys."

"Technically, not really." Wesley awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. "This demon, Santa Claws, has gone down chimneys to eviscerate children since the 15th century, but the Father Christmas myth shall live on without him..."

Gunn turned to Angel, who was struggling to get up. "You OK?"

"NO." Angel gasped in pain. "Did you _have_ to call me by my name in front of that thing?"

"Sorry, but... how was I supposed to know his reaction would be to shove a Christmas tree up your ass?"


	41. University of Pylea, physics dept. (Fred)

**University of Pylea Physics Dept.** __  
  


158 days (159?) since hot showers, computers, public transport, refrigerators and a lot of things she's forgetting.

She's spent years learning stuff, when did it get so hard? She's supposed to be one of those thinkers who advance mankind's knowledge. She can explain Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, Einstein's theory of relativity, quantum mechanics... the other slaves hate her since they keep having to show her how to build a fire, skin a goat, even what leaves to wipe her ass with.

Fred counts the days on fingers whose nails are worn down to the flesh. 159, 160. One more memory gone.


	42. Slash (William)

**Slash** _  
_ _London, 1864_

 

"William?"

"Yes, Mother?"

"I was in your room, and I happened to lay eyes on... on... would you care to explain the meaning of these pages you've written?"

"Oh... um... it's for school, Mother. We're reading _Pride and Prejudice_."

"Don't give me that. You can't possibly dream of presenting... _filth_ such as this in school."

"It's not -"

"It is! Moreover, it is emphatically NOT what happens in Miss Austen's book!"

"Um... that's precisely it, Mother, it's about subverting the reader's expectations, and... playing with established canon, and... um..."

"Honestly, William. Darcy/Wickham? I swear, sometimes I fear for your soul."


	43. Triumph (Anne)

**Triumph** __  
Post-NFA.  


As LA's skyscrapers collapse and winged monsters soar overhead, everyone flees. Or tries; countless die under the rubble or on clogged freeway ramps.

Anne stays as long as she can, but soon there's no neighborhood to help. One of the kids breaks into an abandoned SUV, and it carries the last members of the shelter out of town.

They drive through the desert until they're out of gas, then huddle around a campfire as darkness falls. Anne sleeps, exhausted, while Death passes them over.

Come morning, they break camp. Los Angeles burns behind them. They walk towards the rising sun.


	44. Slice (Gunn)

**Slice** _  
_ _Angel, mid-s5._

"...so I really don't see why we would settle this case out of court."

"And if I can convince you, Bob?" Gunn pegs the golf ball and squints against the afternoon sun, ignoring the slight headache.

The DA laughs. "Knowing you, I bet you've got half a dozen obscure cases ready. Shoot."

"Just a sec. FORE!" Gunn swings, but suddenly it's like he's never played before; the drive feels all wrong, and the ball disappears in the rough. "Huh. Anyway, there's the case of the state versus... uh..." His head is pounding. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about again?"


	45. If you build it, they'll be gone (Wishverse)

**If You Build It, They'll Be Gone** _  
Wishverse._

She pouted. "I thought you'd like it."

"Oh, I do. You've simply... overdone it, my dear." He put down the blueprints. "You're young, you want everything right now, but our race must think ahead. With this 'factory' you're suggesting, we'd exhaust Sunnydale's entire supply in..."

"...8.3 days." A proud grin.

"Eight days. Efficient, certainly... but what do we drink after nine days?"

She produced another blueprint. "Biggest refrigeration unit in California. We pack the whole population in little bite-size bags."

"Astounding. I do love the 20th century."

"So did I do good, Master?"

He caressed her cheek. "Very good, Willow."


	46. Divide et impera (Mayor Wilkins)

**Divide et Impera** _  
Pre-series._

"Ah, Alan, come in. Toffee? So, how did our real estate agent friend do?"

"Um... fine. Mrs Summers will sign the mortgage papers tomorrow."

"Fantastic! He gave her a better deal this time, then?"

"Much better. He called it, uh, cutting his own throat."

"See? With proper motivation, anyone can sell anything. Besides, real throatcutting gets so messy. You know, Alan, it feels good to help people."

Richard Wilkins leaned back, smiling. Nothing like having a Slayer around to control the competition and keep the voters safe... and if she got too uppity, well, he knew where to find her.


	47. Con/vict/ion (Faith)

**Con/vict/ion**   
_Circa "Dirty Girls."  
_

The potential joined the Slayer on the porch. "So... you're the infamous Faith?"

"Yup."

"Can't say it's a bad thing having another Slayer on board, but... concrete walls, armed guards protecting you, and you give that up to join Operation Certain Death?"

"Looks like."

"Why?"

"Good question." Faith lit a cigarette. "You're...?"

"Kennedy."

"Red's girl, right?"

"Yeah."

"So I'm guessing you've heard some things. Gonna give me the speech?"

"If you want." Kennedy held her gaze. "'Hurt her, and I'll kick your ass.' How's that?"

"Depends. Really think you could take me?"

"I'd try."

Faith took a drag. "Good answer."


	48. Promotional gifts (Willow/Tara)

**Promotional Gifts**  
 _Morning after "New Moon Rising."_

A knock on the door shook Tara awake. "Wh-who's there?"

_"UPS. Package for Tara Maclay."_

"Just a minute." She eased out of Willow's sleepy embrace, slipped on a robe and signed for the heavy package. As she closed the door, Willow woke and smiled drowsily at her. "Good morning."

"Best morning. Whatcha got there?"

"No idea." Tara frowned. "There's no return address, just says 'Good job'...?"

"Ooo, now I'm curious." Willow sat up. "Open, open, open!"

Tara tore off the wrapping. Seeing the stainless-steel kitchen appliance inside, she blushed bright red, then giggled. "Uh... OK, I guess it's toast for breakfast."


	49. Best served cold (OC)

**Best Served Cold**

The vibe from the hellmouth gets people to do things. Things they wouldn't normally do. Bad, vicious, _evil_ things.

Take Babs, for instance. She'd been waitressing at Chez Jacque's Fine Cuisine in Sunnydale for three years and never snapped at a customer before. But this guy? Complained about the soup, complained about the wine, complained about the service... so finally she "accidentally" tripped and spilled dijon sauce all over his shirt. "Oh. I'm _so_ sorry, Sir." Of course they took it out of her paycheck, but it was worth it. She knew how impossible it was to get mustard out.


	50. UST (Buffy/Faith)

**UST**   
_Late season 7._

* * *

_"...Because, miss Holier-Than-Thou, you're gonna get everyone killed!"_

_"Look who's talking! Murdered anyone lately?"_

_"Get your hands off me, B."_

_"Or what?"_

_"Push me again and you'll find out."_

_"You mean... like this?"_

_"OK, that's it."_

 

Downstairs, Rona listened in disbelief. "Our leaders hate each other. Great."

Willow grimaced. "Well, it's... complicated."

"Hey, they've stopped yelling, that's..." Vi blushed. The sound of bedsprings and occasional moans from upstairs was unmistakable. "...oh."

"So, it took them 4 years and 188 days. Pay up, Will." Xander held out his hand.

Willow grumbled. "Double or nothing they start fighting about who's on top."


	51. Welcome to Slayerfest (Faith)

**Welcome to Slayerfest**  
_Missing scene from "Homecoming"_

"Hello?"

"..."

"Hey Xander. What's up?"

"..."

"Cool. I'm just gonna pick B up, then we'll swing by..."

"..."

"Oh."

"..."

"Sure, I mean..."

"..."

"No, I get it. B and Cordy need to work things out, I'm five by five on that. See you there."

Faith hung up and looked at the phone for a few seconds before turning back to the cracked motel mirror. Dress, hair, makeup... hot shit. With a sigh, she kicked off her high heels and slipped on her old tennis shoes; The Bronze was across town, and she'd gotten the pumps thinking she'd actually get to ride a limo.


	52. OT3 2.0 (Spike/Buffybot/Angelbot)

**OT3 2.0**  
_Prompt: Spike/Buffy/Angel. Season 5._

(Knock knock.)

Warren opened the door, eyes wide in surprise. "S-Spike... Buffybot... I-is there a problem with the bot? I did every test you wanted..."

"None at all." Spike grinned. "I'm one happy customer. We're here to place another order."

"Look, I'm not making any more girls..."

"Not a problem. Well, depends on your definition... here's your new specs. Make sure you get the forehead right."

"And the hair," Buffybot beamed. "It grows straight up and it's bloody sexy."

Spike leaned closer, menacingly. "And no cheating on the tests. Angelbot had better be able to do  _everything_  on this list."

 


	53. Red Devil (Spike/Harmony)

**Red Devil** _  
Prompt: "Support"_

"Awww, poor Spikey's head."

"Shut up, Harm."

"Did you, like, forget about the chip? I told you to let me do the biting."

"The chip's supposed to stop me from biting humans. Didn't think that bloke qualified."

"What, because he was... English?"

"No, you nitwit, because of his shirt."

"I think it's cute. Too bad I got blood all over it or I could have kept it, I look  _totally_  hot in baby blue."

Spike sighed, exasperated, and sneered at the dead football fan at his feet. He didn't care what the chip said; no way City fans were human.


	54. Obedience Training (Vamp!Willow/Vamp!Xander)

**Obedience Training** _  
Prompt: "Fat"_

Xander cocked his head. "Is it me, or is he putting on weight?"

"Yeah. He's all chubby."

"You think we should... I dunno, stop feeding him for a while?"

"Nawww." Willow pouted. "Feeding him is fun. Plus I kinda feel bad about him... if I hadn't done that to his knee, maybe he wouldn't just sit there all the time?"

"He was a lot more active a year ago, yeah. Maybe he just needs more exercise."

"My thoughts exactly." Willow grinned and licked her lips as she stepped inside Angel's cage. "Oh, Puppy? Time to burn off that baby fat..."


	55. Sibling Rivalry (The First Evil)

**Sibling Rivalry**

It's not fair.

Just because they're older than you, your sister (or brother – it works both ways) gets all the superpowers, all the henchmen... women... henchpersons, the world-rulage possibilities, and what do you get? Squat.

And when you complain about it they just laugh, pat you on the head (metaphorically) and go off with their minions grumbling that you're whiny and clingy.

It's not _fair_.

They get to be all incorporeal and pose as dead people (oooo,  _scary_ ) and cause apocalypses and stuff, and all you can do is possess hyenas and steal squirrels' souls.

Being the Second Evil sucks.


	56. When They Used To Have A Show (Drusilla)

**When They Used To Have A Show**   
_Post-series. Prompt: "Palm"_

She's in Brazil again, where it fell apart. 150 years of blood and madness are almost over: Spike, Angelus, Darla, Sunnydale, LA... all gone. Through the palm trees, the stars sing of a new age. Drusilla knows what's coming before she hears the footsteps approaching.

"Hey. Vampirella."

-

Willow looks up when Kennedy returns to the hotel room. "Hey, baby. Patrol good?"

"Nah. Just found one, and she hardly put up a fight. Seems we're running out of vamps."

"Y'know," Willow grins, "some might say that's a  _good_  thing..."

-

At sunrise, the warm wind ruffles the palm branches, scattering the ashes.

 


	57. Dead Flowers (Buffy, Faith)

**Dead Flowers**   
_Post-"Not Fade Away". Prompt: "Flower"_

"Whatcha drinking?"

Faith hands her the bottle without looking up. Buffy takes a swig, chokes and looks at the label. "80 percent alcohol? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Hey, if you can't handle it -"

"I didn't say that." Buffy takes another mouthful – "Hhhhhk!" - and passes the bottle back. The rays of the sun sinking in the Pacific glitter in the green absinthe as Faith tips her head back and drinks deep. They sit there until it's dark, sharing the bittersweet liquor in silence. It's been a year since LA burned to the ground and dried wormwood makes a good wreath.


	58. I'm Allowed To Keep (Willow/Tara)

**I'm Allowed To Keep**   
_Season 4, "A New Man". Prompt: "Flower"_

It's incredible how soft they still are; after the way the spell went kafloofie (she's even starting to talk like her... not good) she hadn't expected to find a single one, or at least just small flakes of soot. Certainly not these perfect, silky, bright red little things that still smell as sweet as when Willow brought the rose over for the -

\- spell. Yeah. Just two friends casting a spell. Gotta remember that.

But Tara gathers up all the petals of the rose they floated, wraps them up carefully and places them under her pillow. There's no harm in dreaming.


	59. Pre-Production (Angel, Lorne)

**Pre-Production  
** _Angel s5. Prompt: "Flower"_

Angel groaned; before joining Wolfram & Hart, he'd thought vampires couldn't get headaches. "For the last time, Lorne:  _no_  movies about me and Spike."

"But we were just casting. Orlando Bloom would  _kill_  as Spike, and he's a total sweetie; he's not even going to sue over that incident in the lobby."

"B'kostalvi's Literal Interpreters turned him into a begonia!"

"Oh, just for a minute. We've got the perfect guy for you too -"

"NO!"

Lorne got to the door before Angel cleared his throat. "Um... just out of curiosity, did Johnny Depp...?"

"Sorry, Angelcakes. He was busy."

"So who..."

"John Goodman."

 


	60. Incomplete (Larry)

**Incomplete  
** _Prompt: "Final"_

The Razorbacks were never more than average; a football team can only take so many mysterious deaths. Larry was big but he was never supposed to start as quarterback, and Percy might be great at shooting hoops but as a wide receiver he was crap. They almost got to the playoffs in senior year, but Larry got sacked in the last game and that was it.

Now Larry stands firm as the snake towers over him, while Percy and the gang try to hold the line. The flamethrower sputters, but he raises it and braces himself for the hit.

_HailMaryfullagracehelpmewinthi-_


	61. A Plaice To Call Home (Angel)

**A Plaice To Call Home**   
_Angel, pre-s4._

The worst thing about being trapped in a coffin deep under the waves wasn't the hunger, but the loneliness. Without a single living thing to talk to, Angel felt himself going mad.

Then a small flatfish settled on his window. Its mouth moved slowly, as if talking. Sometimes it went for a short swim, casting a cock-eyed glance at the curious creature in the box, but it always returned to keep him company and listen to him.

For a while, that fish kept Angel sane. As bad as his situation was, at least he was a vampire with a sole.


	62. Allergy (Giles, Spike)

**Allergy**  
 _Prompt: "Doctor." Season 4_.

"Doctor...?" The nurse sounded bewildered. "You'd better come see this patient. "

"Let me guess: acute anemia, bite marks on the neck...?"

"No, I've never seen anything like this before. It doesn't seem life-threatening, but..."

The patient was conscious, but being covered from head to toe in a mucus-like substance that was already hardening like cement had to be unpleasant. They ended up ruining 18 scalpels cutting him loose.

...

Downtown, Spike handed Giles a handkerchief. "Gesundheit. Why'd you sneeze on that bloke after I told you about Fyarl mucus?"

Giles glared at him with demonic eyes and growled something about mohair.

 


	63. Proper Protocol (OC Slayer)

**Proper Protocol**   
_Prompt: "Bow"_

Bowing is how man shows submission; expose your neck, look at the floor, place yourself at the mercy of the other.

Slayers don't bow.

"Stupid girl," the demon lord chuckles as the captured girl is brought before him. "Come to assassinate me, hmmm...? Tell you what. Show proper respect to your new master and I _might_  make it quick for you."

With a furious look, the girl holds out her skirt and bends her knees deeply ... then suddenly uncoils like a whip, pulling a knife from her boot as she leaps for his neck.

No, Slayers don't bow. They curtsey.


	64. Only A Prawn In Their Game (Olaf)

**Only A Prawn In Their Game**   
_Prompt: "Land." Mid-season 5.  
_

By Odin's beard, what was this treachery? One minute Olaf was fighting that Slayer wench, and the next he woke up in a world inhabited entirely by fishermen with boats and large nets. And the worst part: these lousy fishermen never caught  _anything_  but shrimp.

Olaf felt like smashing something.

It took him a while to understand what had happened. (Specifically, ten minutes with the oldest and wisest fisherman, who knew more about alternate dimensions and less about violence than Olaf.)

Land of the trolls, land of the trawls... trust Anyanka and her witch to get a simple spell wrong.


	65. Pronounce It Properly (Angel, Cordelia)

**Pronounce It Properly**   
_Prompt: "Plane"_

Angel hesitated at the stairs leading up to the Learjet.

"Come on already," Cordelia hissed. "The Z'baygn demons don't like to be kept waiting."

"But..."

"I know, vampires can't fly, they didn't have planes in your day, yada yada yada. But this is their HQ, they've sworn not to take off, and we need their help for -"

"I know," Angel grumbled. "But can't we meet their leader at our office, or a demon bar, or... why does it have to be here?"

Cordelia groaned. "Do I need to say it?"

"Say what?"

"The reigning Z'baygn stays mainly in the plane."


	66. Vae, Puto, Monstrum Fio (Ford)

**Vae, Puto, Monstrum Fio**   
_Prompt: "Word". Timeline: "Lie To Me"_

Words always came easy to Ford. He's been rehearsing every step, polishing every phrase: tricking Buffy, impressing the vampire wannabes, convincing Spike, triumphing over that fucking disease and rising again, even the cool one-liners he'll use on his terrified victims...

But then it's real.

He climbs from his grave, comes face to face with his childhood friend, and in the second it takes him to turn to dust he looks into her eyes. He sees no fear, no hatred, no hesitation; just grief. And all his clever phrases disintegrate with him.

For once, there's no clever pun from her either.

 


	67. Tech Support (Giles, Willow)

**Tech Support  
** _Prompt: "Word"._

Willow stared at it. "O...kay. And this just... happened?"

"Yes." Giles looked guilty. "I don't suppose you could, um... fix it?"

"Uh-uh. I'm not  _touching_  – GAAH! It moved!"

"I was just copying the spells from  _Green's Compendium of Transmogrification_  so you'd have it on computer. They're easily triggered so I didn't recite them out loud, I just typed them in Word, saved, and..." Something dawned on him. "Oh dear."

Willow couldn't help but grin. "You hit 'spell check', didn't you?"

Giles nodded. The giant frog which, ten minutes and one successfully checked spell earlier, had been his computer croaked unhappily.


	68. Jitters (Faith/Robin)

**Jitters**   
_Prompt: "Teacher." Post-"Chosen."_

4AM. Five hours before the Slayer Academy opens, Robin finds Faith drinking beer in the kitchen. He grabs two more from the fridge, sits down and waits.

"Last time I set foot in a classroom I was 15," she says finally. "B's insane."

"You're a fight instructor. I don't think she's expecting you to teach algebra."

"Yeah, but... Me as an authority figure? I'm not sure I can even  _spell_  'unqualified'."

"I once hired Buffy to counsel kids with emotional problems."

Faith frowns. "Huh."

"Most of them survived, too." He takes another sip. "Are you coming back to bed?"

"Yeah."


	69. User Profile (Darla)

**User Profile**   
_Prompt: "Remember"_

Reality brings back ancient memories in disconnected flashes.

The wooden cage rocking gently when it's lifted, like the ship to Virginia. (How old was she? Was her family with her?)

Vegetables and cooked meat. (Were the tomatoes this big? Was she always this hungry?)

Powerful men who want something from her. (Damn her? Save her?)

They let her out after dark. (Is sunlight dangerous?)

"Make him a monster again," they say. "Haunt his dreams." (Is that her, haunting her own?)

Everything reminds Darla of what she  _was_. There's barely enough reality at Wolfram  & Hart to tell her who she  _is_.


	70. Antipodean (OC Slayers)

**Antipodean**   
_Prompt: "Down/Under."_ _Post-series._

As the new Slayers gather from all over the world, they exchange stories. Their first slay, how they were called, and the nightmares (and occasional blind priests) of the preceding months.

The ones from Australia, though, have a slightly different story. Apparently the First Evil, being thousands of years old, never quite got the intricacies of the world being round (it's just a theory, after all) and the implications for the ones living on the underside.

"So  _that's_  what that meant?" Sheila laughs. "You know, I never understood what was supposed to be scary about  _From above you, it devours_."


	71. And Sometimes The Bear Spits You Out Again (Buffy, Faith)

**And Sometimes The Bear Spits You Out Again**   
_Prompt: "Bear."_ _Post-series_

"...Shit."

Vi never swears. When she does, the others notice, look where she's pointing, and flinch.

That demon "army" they defeated was just a small advance troop. The actual army outnumbers the Slayers 100 to 1.

"Fuck it. Sometimes you eat the bear... " Faith spits, wipes the blood from her eyes, and raises her sword. " _Come on!_  You're only gonna die once!"

"Um..." Buffy raises her hand. "Speak for yourself?"

"Trying to motivate the troops here, B."

"Just sayin', death isn't -"

" _You're_  gonna lecture me on inspirational speeches?"

"Notice how they're attacking without us...?"

"We're getting too old for this."


	72. Saved (Justine)

**Saved  
** _Prompt: "Gather"_

Justine clumsily gathers Angelus' child in her arms, flinching when she realises she almost ran him through with the knife. Then she's running for the car, juggling knife and child.

A life in her hands. A life in –

A life saved. That's what matters. Not who she killed, not whatever vampire killed her sister, not the past. Just the future. She, Daniel, the child... three lonely people making a new life together.

Her battered face hurts as she straps him into the baby seat, her hands slippery with Wesley's blood. She's got responsibility now. Human beings are so very fragile.


	73. Summer Lovers (Snyder/Sunnydale High)

**Summer Lovers  
** _Prompt: "Bare"_

Seeing her in the late afternoon sun, his head swam with conflicting emotions. The memories of their summer together, just the two of them, baring every part of themselves to each other...

And now it was over. Tomorrow,  _they_  would swarm all over her, and he'd be powerless to stop them defiling and perverting her.

As Snyder closed the campus gates for the last time before the fall semester, he heard the school calling him back. Knowing he couldn't protect her almost made him cry. There had to be some way of running this place without all these damned....  _kids_.


	74. Something From The Heart (Lorne, Spike/Angel)

**Something From The Heart  
** _Prompt: "Box"_

Wolfram & Hart's entertainment division was busy before Christmas, piping music to every store and producing every Christmas special on TV. So when Spike asked for help with a gift, Lorne said:

"Nope. Uh-uh. No time. Besides, Angel's my boss. I can't help you do...  _that_  to him."

"Even if I promise not to tell him you cancelled  _A Very Barry Christmas_?"

Lorne cringed. "You wouldn't..."

"It might slip out accidentally," Spike grinned wickedly. "Unless you tell me how to give the old poof what he deserves."

"OK." Lorne sighed and handed him the box. "Step one, cut a hole here..."

 


	75. A Calm Sea Does Not A Skilled Sailor Make (Giles, Willow)

**A Calm Sea Does Not A Skilled Sailor Make**   
_Prompt: "Descend." Post-Season 6._

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our descent towards Heathrow. Please fasten your seatbelts and return your seatbacks to their upright position."

Giles glances down at the city far below as the jumbo jet banks and dips its wing. Beside him, Willow hasn't moved or spoken for hours. Now she grips the armrests even tighter, her knuckles white.

The plane lurches, falls a few hundred feet, as if remembering that it's heavier than air. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing some slight turbulence. Please remain seated."

Giles puts his hand on Willow's. She doesn't relax, but the plane lands safely.


End file.
